Appalachian Shine

Marybeth Adkins, Executive Director of the Family Crisis Support Services in Norton, VA joins us to talk about their ongoing work to help the homeless, victims of domestic abuse, and children in need in our region. Unlike large cities where the homeless problem is evident, the problem is largely hidden and mostly misunderstood and unknown in our region. We discuss why that is, the growing rate of...

From chopping down your own tree, hanging mistletoe, to helping the needy. There are all kinds of Christmas traditions in Appalachia. What are some traditions that you and your family have? #Appalachia #Christmas #traditions #OldChristmas #SantaTrain  www.supportappalachia.org  

Tara Maynard of Pulaski County, KY, our newest board member, sits in with us to talk about the issues of Central Appalachia and share her expertise and experiences. We discuss the future of the region and specifically the coal industry in Eastern Kentucky.  https://kysuafs.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8tW3tXHI2a1BDSK #coal #Appalachia #TaraMaynard #Kentucky 

Dr. Gary Stratton, an original founder and board member (and Vice-President) talks about economic development and opportunities in the region and why he believes strongly in the grassroots efforts to improve our quality of life in Appalachia.  We also talk about two of our original founders that unfortunately passed away. Melinda Elswick and James Hibbitts have left their mark on our organization...

Appalachia is no stranger to tall tales, legends, and haunts. In this episode we talk about Rotherwood Mansion in Kingsport, TN. It is the home of tragedy and despair, of hope and hopes dashed, and a history of brutality leading up to the Civil War. Come along for the ride and learn about the 4 ghosts that still haunt the place to this very day. #RotherwoodMansion #KingsportTN #Kingsport #ghosts #...

The Clinch River is one of the most ecologically diverse rivers in America. Thanks to a lot of local support and grass roots effort, the Clinch River State Park is a reality and could be an important part of the puzzle for bringing in tourism and getting our locals back outside and enjoying nature here in our own back yard!  #ClinchRiver #StatePark #Virginia #blueway 

We go back to the 1800's for this criminal case out of Lewis County, Kentucky! Mayhem was the crime, and the sheriff was his friend. This tale of fisticuffs and a journey to the penitentiary in Frankfort leads the prisoner to the Governor by accident. You'll never guess what happens next (unless you've already heard this story)! #KentuckyHistory #Appalachia #LewisCountyKY #AppalachianHistory

It's been decades since the infamous Manhattan Project was hidden away in Central Appalachia at Oak Ridge, TN. During that time spies roamed our mountains in search of national secrets during WW2 and leading up to the Cold War with the Russians.  #ManhattanProject #Appalachia #OakRidgeTN

Looking for something to read about Appalachia or from Appalachian authors? You'll love this episode of Appalachian Shine! Make sure to pick up some of these gems for the book lover in your life this holiday season. #Appalachia #Appalachianbooks #Appalachianauthors  

Well, we all learn something new everyday. And today I stumbled upon some fun history that I didn't know about. Little Newbern, VA was a shopping hub and possibly the first location in Appalachia that embraced buying gifts for Christmas! People travelled from far around to the Great Wagon Road that took them to downtown Newbern! #GreatWagonRoad #NewbernVA #Appalachia #ChristmasInAppalachia

We're all aware of the issue of income disparity in Appalachia vs. the rest of the country. A recent article on Bloomberg (shared on our Facebook page) reveals how far behind we are on owning income generating assets. This is an important piece of solving our economic issues that we can start to impact right now.  #Appalachia #IncomeDisparity #Investing #CentralAppalachia www.facebook.com/supporta...

In the 1950's Wytheville, VA was thrust into the national spotlight for having the highest per capita ratio of the polio pandemic. It was running at twice the national average. Wytheville, then a tourist destination, had to shut down and put up a sign to warn travelers away.  We can find a lot of similarities in how we handled that outbreak in Appalachia and how we are handling COVID-19. "We've be...

100 years ago this month the Battle of Blair Mountain in West Virginia made national headlines, putting the fight for unionization on the front page in every home.  Also, will Appalachia be prime real estate in 50 years? #Appalachia #history #BlairMountain #WestVirginia

Robert Prather, author of The Strange Case of Jonathan Swift and the Real Long John Silver, joins us for part 2 of our discussion about the possibility of lost treasure in Eastern Kentucky and his theory behind the legend.  #Appalachia #Appalachianhistory #AppalachianLegends #RobertPrather #SwiftSilverMine #Kentucky

Author Robert Prather, The Strange Case of Jonathan Swift and the Real Long John Silver, sits with us to discuss this mysterious Appalachian legend and takes us on a real life journey of an American patriot and the founding of our nation.  #Appalachia #SwiftSilverMine #RobertPrather

The AT has a fun and unique history and a vibrant culture filled with amazing stories and unique characters.  www.traildays.us www.supportappalachia.org     #Appalachia #AppalachianTrail #DamascusVA #TrailDays #trailnames #WhitetopMountain

Author and school teacher Cathy Conley of Knott County, KY joins us to discuss the rich and fun history passed down by her grandmother and how that became the inspiration behind her books. Cathy shares a passion for Appalachia, her Eastern Kentucky roots, and has a unique view from the "holler" she calls home.  #Appalachia #Appalachianbooks #stories #history #CathyConley

The Appalachian Regional Commission released their most recent Chartbook for 2015-2019 to highlight the changing numbers in education rates, economic disparity, and poverty rates. The report is very extensive and in this episode we do a high overview of the numbers.  Also, on this day in history Ronald Reagan gave his famous "Tear down this wall..." speech in Berlin, Germany.  #Appalachia #Appalac...

Bunny Medeiros, author of Friendliest Town on the Trail and Walking to Wijiji...my journey overcoming loneliness joins us today as we sit down in Abingdon, VA to talk about her work, what inspires her, and her family history.  #Inspiration #TheAzores #Damascus #Appalachia #author https://www.amazon.com/Walking-Wijiji-journey-overcoming-loneliness/dp/1687306915/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&qid=1623184527&re...

A brief Memorial Day message from your pals at the FAA. :) #Appalachia

Appalachian author Kari Kilgore stops by to talk about her publishing company, the challenges of self publishing, and her strange connection to what we know as the Stanley Hotel from the horror movie The Shining!  #AppalachianAuthors #writing #Appalachia #KariKilgore #SpiralPublishing #TheShining #AppalachianAuthorsGuild

Tammy has been a champion for Appalachian women writers for years. She sits down with us to talk about her latest work, what motivated her to publish women's voices, and the growing number of Appalachian writers in recent years.  #Appalachia #Appalachianwriters #writing #womenwriters 

Following up on a previous episode, the original ten towns of Appalachian League Baseball are ready to go with a brand new season starting in June! Teams include the Bristol State Liners and the Princeton Whistlepigs. Gotta love those names! Also, if you haven't read anything by Napoleon Hill you might want to toss some of his work on your summer reading list. #AppalachianLeagueBaseball #NapoleonH...

Appalachia is still a place of mystery, wonderous beauty and opportunity. It is also one of the most stereotyped places and people in the world. However, the region and people have contributed significantly to our nation and its history and culture. In this episode we talk about a couple of books that defend that point of view and should be on every Appalachian's reading list.  #Appalachia #Appala...

Addie Davis and Linda Hoagland spend some time with us to talk about their lives, experiences and how that shaped their writing careers here in Appalachia.  #AddaLeahDavis #LindaHudsonHoagland #Appalachia #writing #arts #crafts